Category Archives: E3

In Ubisoft’s latest Watch Dogs title which releases November 15, a NeoGaf user FlammableAce who found the trailer commented, “This wasn’t a main story mission, It was a side mission that opened up after I stumbled upon a guy on the phone who happened to be a Ubisoft employee talking about Assassin’s Creed Syndicate, Unity and ‘Osiris’ leaks.”

The footage in the video states that the title had been revealed at E3 behind closed doors, as we can see watermarks stating that it’s confidential and is a piece of E3 media which is outlined at the bottom of the screen (E3_Conf_Video_v03). As we see the video begin inside the Ubisoft building, the point of view hacks and navigates its way through several cameras situated in the office which finally makes its way to a Ubisoft employees PC that is playing the trailer.

The trailer reveals a space exploration typed game coupled with western music that gives off a very No Man Sky vibe with its familiar colour palettes but also mimicking the new Read Dead Redemption 2 reveal trailer as it shows off scenery and vistas as opposed to characters. Some media outlets are claiming that Ubisoft is poking fun at No Man Sky developers.

A supposed ex-Ubisoft developer posted on forum NeoGAF that he, “knew very little about it just before [he] left Ubi over two years ago and never actually saw any in-game stuff. Pretty sure it’s real, like I said, I only heard rumblings of a big space game as they keep stuff on tight lockdown even between studios, so my knowledge ends at that sadly.”

At the end of the trailer where the stream is interrupted due to a connection failure, we cut to the main protagonist Marcus Holloway who is speaking to fellow DedSec friends where they make comments like, “I can see the headlines now, ‘New Trailer Sucks’, ‘New Trailer Kicks Ass’, ‘New Trailer is Okay.’”

Marcus proceeds to leak the unannounced title which could be interpreted as a joke as Watch Dogs 2 had been leaked several times just as many upcoming titles in the past have been, such as the concept for For Honor, the next placement setting for the next Assassin’s Creed title Assassin’s Creed: Empire and many titles in the industry.

Leaks have almost become the norm in the video game industry with very few companies being able to keep a lid on upcoming titles unless you are Hideo Kojima who was able to keep under wraps Death Stranding or Rockstar Games with Red Dead Redemption 2. A more recent example of a leak and or rumour was when someone was seen on the Montreal subway working on a PowerPoint presentation with the title of the upcoming Tomb Raider visible on the top right hand corner.

So is Ubisoft trying to control the announcement of this new sci-fi title? Could this potentially be a mini-game in Watch Dogs 2 or is it just a regular side mission?

Another studio to do something similar was when Guerrilla Games left a Horizon Zero Dawn Easter egg in Killzone: Shadowfall back when the project was still a mere rumour.

This isn’t the first time Ubisoft created a fictional Ubisoft Studio in one of their titles as Tom Clancy’s: The Division had a studio which was converted into a safe house in the heart of New York. Massive Ubisoft Banners with Grow Home murals and For Honor posters can be found along the back wall of the office space. It’s safe to assume that Ubisoft was attempting to be meta whilst promoting previous and upcoming titles.

Watch Dogs 2 released: November 15 2016 for PlayStation 4 and Xbox One and November 29 for PC.

So what’s your take on all of this?

Do you think it’s a real trailer? Or is Ubisoft just poking fun at itself? Let us know in the comments below.

During the E3 2016 conference this year, Hideo Kojima made his appearance at Sony’s press briefing to announce his highly anticipated title that had been under wraps for a while.

After the spine-chilling Silent Hills titleKojima was to collaborate with Guillermo del Toro on, which featured Norman Reedus fell through, Kojima decided to continue that partnership with The Walking Dead star under his new company Kojima Productions with his new IP, Death Stranding.

In the months leading up to E3, Kojima had been leaving a breadcrumb trail hinting to what his new title was going to be like the logo for his newly formed company (Kojima Productions), so when all he had to do on the Sony stage was state: “I’m back!,” the crowd lost their minds.

As the trailer opened in traditional Kojima fashion with a slow, sombre musical score, audiences saw a crying, naked Norman Reedus, holding a tiny newborn child that appeared to be dead in his arms.

In an interview with Wired, Kojima uncovered more secrets behind the very cryptic reveal trailer that was shown at E3 that left the world very confused. He talks about the concepts of the game and the meaning of death in Death Stranding.

The reveal trailer was enigmatic in its entirety as Kojima said to Wired after being asked what is Death Stranding, that, “It’s a teaser, so the only thing I can said is, watch it. You can see the crabs, the whales, all things, they all have these umbilical cables. Norman, as he stands up. It’s a very important part, this connection. That’s the keyword. What people are playing today in open-world action games, or linear action games, it will compare naturally to them.” Kojima continued. “The story is about connections, what you call ‘strands’ in psychology – how people are connected”

When asked about his intentional meaning behind the word Stranding in the games title, Kojima spoke about the word working on two levels of isolation and connecting.

“Connecting people through game play is the basis of the game. Trying to connect one character to another, or to connect life and death.”

There was a very intriguing theory from Geek about how the trailer and essentially the title itself is either a conscious or subconscious allegory of the split between Konami and Kojima.

The article writes about how Reedus is a representation of Kojima and how the carcasses represent dead Konami franchises. “There is a pair of handcuffs on Reedus’ left hand, meaning that he was once a prisoner but now is free. The baby that Reedus picks up and holds represents the Metal Gear Solid franchise. Like in real life, this franchise is taken from Kojima almost without warning.”

In an interview with Eurogamer however, Kojima denies that the title and its symbolism has anything to do with the situation that unfolded with Konami.

Kojima spoke more in depth about the notion of dying in arcade games and the ability to put in another quarter and coming back, he explained, “that hasn’t changed in the 35 years that I’ve been making games. In this game, life and death will be part of that, but I want to give a different twist to that notion.”

When asked about what sort of multiplayer the title will have, Kojima mentioned that it’s a “new system”, however didn’t expand much more other than, “It’s not so simple”.

“There’s an author that I’m a huge fan of named Kōbō Abe. Among his work is a novel called The Rope. He mentions that the first tool that humanity invented was the stick, to keep away bad things. Right now, looking at today’s online games, you see a lot of sticks-pistols, weapons, things that are the equivalent of the first tool. Abe, in his novel, mentions that after the stick, mankind invented something that keeps things that are important close to you – the rope.”

There is no release date thus far for the mysterious title, however we do know that Death Stranding will release on the PS4.

Kojima spoke over the past couple months in more depth regarding his decision behind going with Sony as opposed to any other company as a publisher. Being a newly formed, independent developer trying to get a new IP off the ground he comments is very difficult and can sometimes affect the overall aim and concentration of the project.

“Working with Sony, I have a long history with them, a relationship of trust. They’ve allowed me a lot of freedom and been very supportive of the things I wanted to do.”

For more news on Death Stranding, don’t forget to follow us on our official Twitter pages for updates @Hackinformer and @GeorgiaDanaG

The stunningly revamped God of War which opened up Sony’s E3 press conference awed the audience and media both at the Shrine Auditorium and around the world with a spine chilling, mysterious orchestra and choir that accompanied the glorious reveal.

Santa Monica Studio have been working on this title for several years now as Corey Barlog, Creative Director said on the PlayStation blog that they aimed to, “create a different, better and truly more memorable experience than before.” The beautiful graphics, revamped combat and seamless cinematic cut scenes all indicate how different this God of War will be in comparison to its predecessors in so many different ways.

Gameplay Engineering Lead Jeet Shroff stated, “this is a new chapter for Kratos and the franchise. It’s a big pillar of the narrative, of the story, exploring this relationship and humanising Kratos.” Technical Director Mihir Sheth commented, “For us it’s exciting we get to bring something new. I don’t think people were really ready for what we were going to show.”

In a detailed PlayStation Blog, director Cory Barlog The lack of a number in the God of War title doesn’t mean it’s a remastering for Kratos’ origin story, but rather it’s a continuation of the series as it features an older Kratos alongside his young son featured in the game-play reveal.

At E3, Barlog spoke in a little more depth regarding the different cultural mythological belief systems and how they coexisted with each other however were, “separated by geography” basically Kratos took a journey from Greece to Norway.

Traditionally the God of War Series has focused on Greek mythology, however in an interview with Polygon, Barlog said that when looking at the previous God of War games, they primarily focused on Kratos’ origin story. Transitioning over to Norse mythology means that they’re able to focus on a more personal chapter of Kratos’ life.

“I feel like Kratos’ origin story has been told. That was the Greek era. And when I started imagining this full game, I started seeing this massive timeline come out and realising the Greek era of games was just the beginning of the character.”

Barlog in an interview with IGN also commented, “We’ve already told the story of The Hulk. We want to tell the story of Banner now.”

Barlog additionally commented that Kratos isn’t in the Viking era however, despite the Norse setting.

“A lot of people think Norse, they think Viking, but there’s really this amazing prehistory — the migration, and then prior to that, the pre-migration era,” Barlog explained. “IUn the Viking era, they always talked about, ‘The gods have abandoned us. ‘Thor and Loki and Odin all walked the Earth at one point, but they’re not around anymore. [The vikings] fight for them, but they’re not there. This idea that we’re at is saying, ‘We’re at prehistory point, where gods did walk the Earth, when monsters were real before they became extinct.’

“It’s a fun space to be in because it allows us to paint our own image of Norse mythology as opposed to anyone else’s,” Barlog said.

Change in setting and plot isn’t the only thing that’s different in this God of War as we see Kratos who is a father indicative of the gameplay trailer opening with a young boy playing outside who just so happens to be Kratos’ son.

Barlog in the same interview spoke about how having a child of his own actually helped with the reinvention of Kratos as well as the God of War series.

“You have a kid and it kind of changes the way you see things and how I approached problems creatively,” Barlog said. “And I thought, ‘There’s some fascinating potential here for what Kratos would be like if given a second chance.’”

During the Electronic Arts E3 showcase yesterday, Bioware’s upcoming Mass Effect title shed new light on what players can expect in their fourth installment. When Andromeda was officially revealed at last year’s E3 conference, the developers promised that it will be unlike any other Mass Effect game that we’ve seen so far, however the new title recaptures the first game’s wonder.

BioWare general manager Aaryn Flynn during the conference spoke briefly about how the new adventure will be taking place in “a galaxy where you are the alien” as well as being set “far away from and long after the events of the original trilogy.”

This Mass Effect is also the first to be built using the Frostbite engine, and it is gorgeous to say the least. We even got to see a familiar face of what looked like a smiling Asari and Krogan characters.

During the EA gaming showcase yesterday, Mac Walters told Kotaku, “If you go back to the original Mass Effect, there was that sort of awe of going to a new galaxy and meeting all these aliens for the first time – new races, new cultures, new civilizations.”

BioWare described that the plot for the new title takes our protagonist out to the Milky Way to find a new home whilst the game will have “more freedom than we’ve ever given players in a BioWare game.” Walters commented “the twist we are putting on it is that this isn’t your home. Here, everybody is looking at you and going ‘Who are you?’ as well.”

Andromeda is reportedly slated to be released in early 2017 on Xbox One, PS4 and PC after it was pushed back from it’s original 2016 release date confirmed by BioWare last month in a blog post.

The delay most likely has something to do with the departure of Halo 4 writer Chris Schlerf who was attached to the project as the lead writer, however left earlier this year to join developer Bungie on Destiny.

Schlerf unfortunately wasn’t the first to leave the project, as senior development director Chris Wynne announced his departure from the company back in December last year without any official reasoning.

In the blog post, BioWare general manager Aaryn Flynn wrote that they wanted the Mass Effect projects to meet internal quality standards.

“As we’ve been playing the game at the studio recently, it’s showing us that we’re taking the game in the right direction,” he said.

“But we also know we need the right amount of time to make sure we deliver everything the game can and should be – that’s our commitment from all of us to all of you. Because of that, Mass Effect: Andromeda will now ship early 2017.”

Andromeda also features a new Shepard called Rider or Ryder, alluding to whilst also paying homage to Sally Ride, the first American woman in space, which parallels Commander Shepard who was also named after Alan Shepard, the first American in space.

For more news and features on Mass Effect Andromeda and coverage of E3 2016, don’t forget to follow our official Twitter accounts @Hackinformer and @GeorgiaDanaG

Bethesda Softworks and Titan Comics have announced that they will be releasing a Dishonored miniseries and a prose novel series tie-in before the official release of Dishonored 2 on November 11 for the PlayStation 4, PC and Xbox One which had been first announced at E3 last year. The comic is going to start with its release on August 3 to span over a four monthly issue release as the rest are set to debut on September 7, September 28 and October 19 with the full collection to be available in stores November 29.

The four issue series is to be written by Gordon Rennie who is most notable for his work White Trash and 2000 AD and Andrea Olimpieri whilst Illustrations are going to be commissioned by Marcelo Maiolo notable for his work on Batman Beyond and Old Man Logan.

Titan’s description of the series reads:

“The city of Dunwall; whaling capital of Gristol and industrial hub of the Empire of the Isles. Twelve years have passed since Corvo Attano scuppered the Lord Regent’s duplicitous plot against the crown and cleared his name of the Empress Jessamine’s murder”

“Now a little older and perhaps a little wiser, Corvo sets his sights on the future and securing an apprentice to continue his legacy. But when confronted by an impossible face from his past, the supernaturally-gifted assassin finds himself drawn once again into an otherworldly conspiracy, one that threatens to shake the very foundations of his ancient city.”

The prose novel series commencing with Dishonored – The Corroded Man will be released later this year in September time and is to be written by Adam Christopher (The Shield, LA Trilogy and The Burning Dark). The novel follows the events of Dishonored that was released back in 2012 that aims to fill in the blanks between the first and second game.

Dishonored 2 is slated to release worldwide on Friday, November 11 2016 for the Xbox One, PS4 computer entertainment system and PC. Play your way as a supernatural assassin in a world where mysticism and industry collide. Will you choose to play as Empress Emily Kaldwin or the royal protector, Corvo Attano? Will you make your way through the game unseen, make full use of its brutal combat system, or use a blend of both? How will you combine your character’s unique set of powers, weapons and gadgets to eliminate your enemies? The story responds to your choices, leading to intriguing outcomes

At Square Enix’s E3 Conference yesterday, Kingdom Hearts 3 received the ultimate game-play reveal, after being trolled with a mobile Kingdom Hearts game by Square Enix higher-ups during the conference that is.

It has been two years since Square Enix announced the new installment, and a running 10 years since 2005’s Kingdom Hearts 2. If you’re an avid Kingdom Hearts fan like me, you have been waiting patiently (or impatiently), for more details and information on any slimmer of news with regards to the third title.

In a trailer showcased at the conference, audiences were shown a decent amount into what’s in store for Kingdom Hearts 3. The game-play mechanics were fluid, the visuals were stunning and vibrant and the music more nostalgic than ever. Let’s just say it hit me right in the feels.

Anyone unfamiliar with the premise of this gem of a game showcases a universe fusing the beloved worlds and characters of Final Fantasy such as Cloud, Tifa, Cid and Yufi and Disney to bring you a spectacular work of art we all know and love.

The Tangled world was also confirmed as an addition to the KH universe as Square Enix commented:

“Fans of the highly-anticipated title from the celebrated series from Disney Interactive and SQUARE ENIX will see Sora and his truest friends, Donald Duck and Goody, adventure through the world based on the hit animated feature film, Tangled.

The trailer also gives new hints to the storyline and showcases gorgeous visuals, and new game-play elements.”

In accordance to the press release by SE, the world which is based on Tangled (See images above):

“Is one of the many big reveals the team has in store and is the first announcement in a larger, deep creative collaboration between Square Enix and The Walt Disney Animation Studios.”

“As a core game, this is finally the third, and 10 years have passed. I couldn’t call this a trilogy. There have been so many spinoffs. In Kingdom Hearts 3, the battles that the characters have been fighting for the past 10 years will come to a conclusion. That is the plan. But the series will continue. Only the particular enemy they have been fighting the past 10 years will come to an end.”

What this means is that the series itself will not come to an end, only the conflict the characters have been battling against will come to its final conclusion.

The trailer itself begins with two characters in the midst of a game which appears to be a 3D chess, as they discuss the ancient keyblade war. These characters are a younger Xenahort and Eraqus.

The trailer shows Sora dual-wielding pistols morphed from the Keyblade, which shoot out kaleidoscopic, Kingdom-heart-esque colours in all its flamboyance, which was then shown to combine into one singular larger weapon.

Kingdom Hearts 3 will be released for PlayStation 4 and surprisingly the Xbox One, the first to come to a Microsoft console, however information on an official release date is scarce as SE announced during the conference that the title is still “in development.”

Now here is the glorious trailer I basically had an emotional breakdown over yesterday [WARNING: Will hit you right in the feels]

For more information, updates and news on Kingdom Hearts 3 and more, stay tuned with us here at Hackinformer and be sure to follow us on our official Twitter accounts @Hackinformer and @GeorgiaDanaG

Electornic Arts (EA) have given a release date for their highly anticipated title, Star Wars Battlefront during their gaming conference last night at E3.

For essentially a decade, fans have been anticipating the release of a new Battlefront title, however LucasArts just couldn’t bring this request to life, especially since being bought out by Disney back in 2013. So, EA DICE (creators of critically acclaimed Battlefield series) decided to take the reigns on this project by snatching up an official licence for the title, and with the help of their Frostbite game engine, Battlefront was born.

“We will give you the chance to live out the Star Wars Battlefront fantasies you’ve always dreamed of, and we can’t wait to see all the memories you will create on your own.”

“We have a variety of multiplayer modes that range from large scale battles between 40 players, all the way down to 8 player modes that deliver a more intimate experience between squads of rebels imperial soldiers.”

The gaming giant showcased a five minute trailer titled,”Walker Assault,” situated in a place called Hoth.

This is the first real footage to be shown for the title for a long time, however people must keep in mind that this is pre-alpha footage, and can be subject to change.

For those unfamiliar with the details of this game, Battlefront can be narrowed down to the combination of a Battlefield game-style and Star Wars universe to bring gamers as a first person shooter with 40-person multiplayer battles.

Who is hyped about this title progressing towards it’s final stages, and what are your thoughts on what you saw last night from the EA E3 conference? For more details feel free to follow my on Twitter @GeorgiaDanaG